Raṭṭhapālasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 82

With Raṭṭhapāla · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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‘assako loko, sabbaṁ pahāya gamanīyan’ti,
yamahaṁ ñatvā ca disvā ca sutvā ca agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito”ti.
“Acchariyaṁ, bho raṭṭhapāla, abbhutaṁ, bho raṭṭhapāla.
Yāva subhāsitaṁ cidaṁ tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena:
‘assako loko, sabbaṁ pahāya gamanīyan’ti.
Assako hi, bho raṭṭhapāla, loko sabbaṁ pahāya gamanīyaṁ.

‘The world has no owner—you must leave it all behind and pass on.’” “It’s incredible, worthy Raṭṭhapāla, it’s amazing, how well said this was by the Buddha. For the world indeed has no owner—you must leave it all behind and pass on.

‘Ūno loko atitto taṇhādāso’ti—
bhavaṁ raṭṭhapālo āha.
Imassa, bho raṭṭhapāla, bhāsitassa kathaṁ attho daṭṭhabbo”ti?
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,
phītaṁ kuruṁ ajjhāvasasī”ti?
“Evaṁ, bho raṭṭhapāla, phītaṁ kuruṁ ajjhāvasāmī”ti.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,
idha puriso āgaccheyya puratthimāya disāya saddhāyiko paccayiko.
So taṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vadeyya:
‘yagghe, mahārāja, jāneyyāsi, ahaṁ āgacchāmi puratthimāya disāya?
Tatthaddasaṁ mahantaṁ janapadaṁ iddhañceva phītañca bahujanaṁ ākiṇṇamanussaṁ.
Bahū tattha hatthikāyā assakāyā rathakāyā pattikāyā;
bahu tattha dhanadhaññaṁ;
bahu tattha hiraññasuvaṇṇaṁ akatañceva katañca;
bahu tattha itthipariggaho.
Sakkā ca tāvatakeneva balamattena abhivijinituṁ.
Abhivijina, mahārājā’ti, kinti naṁ kareyyāsī”ti?
“Tampi mayaṁ, bho raṭṭhapāla, abhivijiya ajjhāvaseyyāmā”ti.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,
idha puriso āgaccheyya pacchimāya disāya …

You also said this: ‘The world is wanting, insatiable, the slave of craving.’ How should I see the meaning of this statement?” “What do you think, Great King? Do you reign over the prosperous land of Kuru?” “Indeed I do.” “What do you think, Great King? Suppose a trustworthy and dependable man were to come from the east. He’d approach you and say: ‘Please, Great King, you should know this. I come from the east. There I saw a large country that is successful and prosperous, populous and full of people. They have many divisions of elephants, cavalry, chariots, and infantry. And there’s plenty of money and grain, plenty of gold, coined and uncoined, worked and unworked, and plenty of women for the taking. With your current forces you can conquer it. Conquer it, Great King!’ What would you do?” “I would conquer it and reign over it.” “What do you think, Great King? Suppose a trustworthy and dependable man were to come from the west,

uttarāya disāya …
dakkhiṇāya disāya …
parasamuddato saddhāyiko paccayiko.
So taṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vadeyya:
‘yagghe, mahārāja, jāneyyāsi, ahaṁ āgacchāmi parasamuddato?
Tatthaddasaṁ mahantaṁ janapadaṁ iddhañceva phītañca bahujanaṁ ākiṇṇamanussaṁ.
Bahū tattha hatthikāyā assakāyā rathakāyā pattikāyā;
bahu tattha dhanadhaññaṁ;
bahu tattha hiraññasuvaṇṇaṁ akatañceva katañca;
bahu tattha itthipariggaho.
Sakkā ca tāvatakeneva balamattena abhivijinituṁ.
Abhivijina, mahārājā’ti, kinti naṁ kareyyāsī”ti?
“Tampi mayaṁ, bho raṭṭhapāla, abhivijiya ajjhāvaseyyāmā”ti.
“Idaṁ kho taṁ, mahārāja, tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sandhāya bhāsitaṁ:
‘ūno loko atitto taṇhādāso’ti,
yamahaṁ ñatvā ca disvā ca sutvā ca agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito”ti.
“Acchariyaṁ, bho raṭṭhapāla, abbhutaṁ, bho raṭṭhapāla.
Yāva subhāsitañcidaṁ tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena:

north, south, or from over the ocean. He’d approach you and say the same thing. What would you do?” “I would conquer it and reign over it.” “This is what the Buddha was referring to when he said: ‘The world is wanting, insatiable, the slave of craving.’ And it was after knowing and seeing and hearing this that I went forth from the lay life to homelessness.” “It’s incredible, worthy Raṭṭhapāla, it’s amazing, how well said this was by the Buddha.

‘ūno loko atitto taṇhādāso’ti.
Ūno hi, bho raṭṭhapāla, loko atitto taṇhādāso”ti.

For the world is indeed wanting, insatiable, the slave of craving.”

Idamavoca āyasmā raṭṭhapālo.
Idaṁ vatvā athāparaṁ etadavoca:
“Passāmi loke sadhane manusse,
Laddhāna vittaṁ na dadanti mohā;
Luddhā dhanaṁ sannicayaṁ karonti,
Bhiyyova kāme abhipatthayanti.
Rājā pasayhā pathaviṁ vijitvā,
Sasāgarantaṁ mahimāvasanto;
Oraṁ samuddassa atittarūpo,
Pāraṁ samuddassapi patthayetha.
Rājā ca aññe ca bahū manussā,
Avītataṇhā maraṇaṁ upenti;
Ūnāva hutvāna jahanti dehaṁ,
Kāmehi lokamhi na hatthi titti.
Kandanti naṁ ñātī pakiriya kese,
Ahovatā no amarāti cāhu;
Vatthena naṁ pārutaṁ nīharitvā,
Citaṁ samādāya tatoḍahanti.
So ḍayhati sūlehi tujjamāno,
Ekena vatthena pahāya bhoge;
Na mīyamānassa bhavanti tāṇā,
Ñātīdha mittā atha vā sahāyā.
Dāyādakā tassa dhanaṁ haranti,
Satto pana gacchati yena kammaṁ;
Na mīyamānaṁ dhanamanveti kiñci,

That is what Venerable Raṭṭhapāla said. Then he went on to say: “I see rich humans in the world who, because of delusion, give not the wealth they’ve earned. Greedily, they hoard their riches, yearning for ever more sensual pleasures. A king who conquered the earth by force, ruling the land from sea to sea, unsatisfied with the near shore of the ocean, would still yearn for the further shore. Not just the king, but others too, reach death not rid of craving. They leave the body still wanting, for in this world sensual pleasures never satisfy. Relatives lament, their hair disheveled, saying ‘Ah! Alas! They’re not immortal!’ They take out the body wrapped in a shroud, heap up a pyre, and burn it there. It’s poked with stakes while being burnt, in just a single cloth, all wealth gone. Relatives, friends, and companions can’t help you when you’re dying. Heirs take your riches, while beings fare on according to their deeds. Riches don’t follow you when you die;

Puttā ca dārā ca dhanañca raṭṭhaṁ.
Na dīghamāyuṁ labhate dhanena,
Na cāpi vittena jaraṁ vihanti;
Appaṁ hidaṁ jīvitamāhu dhīrā,
Asassataṁ vippariṇāmadhammaṁ.
Aḍḍhā daliddā ca phusanti phassaṁ,
Bālo ca dhīro ca tatheva phuṭṭho;
Bālo ca bālyā vadhitova seti,
Dhīro ca na vedhati phassaphuṭṭho.
Tasmā hi paññāva dhanena seyyo,
Yāya vosānamidhādhigacchati;
Abyositattā hi bhavābhavesu,
Pāpāni kammāni karonti mohā.
Upeti gabbhañca parañca lokaṁ,
Saṁsāramāpajja paramparāya;
Tassappapañño abhisaddahanto,
Upeti gabbhañca parañca lokaṁ.
Coro yathā sandhimukhe gahito,
Sakammunā haññati pāpadhammo;
Evaṁ pajā pecca paramhi loke,
Sakammunā haññati pāpadhammo.
Kāmāhi citrā madhurā manoramā,
Virūparūpena mathenti cittaṁ;
Ādīnavaṁ kāmaguṇesu disvā,
Tasmā ahaṁ pabbajitomhi rāja.
Dumapphalāneva patanti māṇavā,

nor do children, wife, wealth, nor kingdom. Longevity isn’t gained by riches, nor does wealth banish old age; for the attentive say this life is short, it’s perishable and not eternal. The rich and the poor feel its touch; the fool and the attentive one feel it too. But the fool lies stricken by their own folly, while the attentive don’t tremble at the touch. Therefore wisdom’s much better than wealth, since by wisdom you reach consummation in this life. But if because of delusion you don’t reach consummation, you’ll do evil deeds in life after life. One who enters a womb and the world beyond, will transmigrate from one life to the next. While someone of little wisdom, placing faith in them, also enters a womb and the world beyond. As a bandit caught in a window is punished for his own bad deeds; so after departing, in the world beyond, people are punished for their own bad deeds. Sensual pleasures are diverse, sweet, delightful; appearing in disguise they disturb the mind. Seeing danger in sensual stimulations, I went forth, O King. As fruit falls from a tree, so the sons of Manu fall,

Daharā ca vuḍḍhā ca sarīrabhedā;
Etampi disvā pabbajitomhi rāja,
Apaṇṇakaṁ sāmaññameva seyyo”ti.
Raṭṭhapālasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dutiyaṁ.

young and old, when the body breaks up. Seeing this, too, I went forth, O King; it’s a sure bet that the ascetic life is better.”

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